Full Breakdown
Horizon Hunters Gathering Rebooted as a Traditional Co-Op Experience
8/19/2026, 8:59:19 PM
Core Development Shift
Guerrilla Games, the PlayStation Studios developer behind the Horizon franchise, is overhauling its multiplayer spinoff Horizon Hunters Gathering. Sources familiar with the plan say the studio has been reworking the title since June to remove all live-service components and replace them with a conventional cooperative multiplayer mode that includes a story campaign and a “far smaller scope.” Staff have been told they have until December to deliver the next development milestone and impress Sony Interactive Entertainment executives. The project has not been cancelled, but many team members are being reassigned to another internal Guerrilla effort that will also be evaluated at year-end.
Background: Sony’s Live-Service Challenges
Sony’s push to expand its portfolio of live-service games has encountered repeated setbacks. Earlier titles such as Concord were shut down shortly after launch, and high-profile projects—including Naughty Dog’s *The Last of Us* multiplayer, a God of War live-service game at Bluepoint, and a *Twisted Metal* battle-royale—were cancelled despite advanced development stages. In 2022, Sony announced plans to launch more than ten live-service games by March 2026, but by 2023 President Hiroki Totoki said the company would focus on delivering only six of the twelve in-progress titles, emphasizing quality over quantity.
Timeline
- February 2024 – *Horizon Hunters Gathering* announced for PlayStation 5 and PC.
- June 2024 – Guerrilla begins internal reboot to strip live-service features.
- December 2024 – Deadline for the next development milestone set by Sony executives.
- End of 2024 – Evaluation of both the rebooted Hunters Gathering and the separate Guerrilla project.
Official Statements & Responses
Sony Interactive Entertainment has not issued a public comment, but Bloomberg reports that internal communications informed staff of the December milestone requirement and the reassignment of developers to other projects.
Why It Matters
The reboot of *Horizon Hunters Gathering* signals a retreat from Sony’s aggressive live-service roadmap and may influence how future Horizon titles are positioned. By shifting to a smaller-scale cooperative experience, Guerrilla can reallocate resources toward its next mainline single-player Horizon entry, which remains “far, far away” according to Bloomberg. The outcome of the December milestone will likely affect Sony’s decision on whether the title proceeds to launch and how many of its remaining live-service projects receive continued investment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “What happened was, during COVID, the game industry saw a huge growth because everyone was at home,” — Vinit Agarwal
